The invention here is generally concerned with thermoplastic shopping bags and the like, and more particularly packs of such bags interrelated in a manner which enables the simultaneous mounting of multiple bags, as a unit, on a rack with the bags, in turn, being individually opened and loaded while on the rack, and subsequently removed therefrom.
Bags of the general type involved herein are frequently formed from flattened tube portions selectively severed from a length of tubing of appropriate material and subsequently heat sealed along the lower and upper edges thereof. An appropriate mouth-defining U-shaped cutout is normally made through the sealed upper edge, this cutout simultaneously defining both the upper mouth of the bag and a pair of laterally spaced handles. Such bags can be formed both with or without side gussets.
It has become increasingly common to provide such bags in packs for suspension on racks with the individual bags separately dispensed therefrom. Pursuant thereto, the pack bags have typically included apertured tear-off tabs with the rack support element received through the apertured tabs and with the entire tab being severed from the bag as the bag is removed from the rack for loading. Examples of bag packs of this type will be noted in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,750, Dancy, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,090, Pilon. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,591--Rosen, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,733--Walitalo, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,734--Walitalo. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,493--Vogt, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,302--Farrelly et al.
In each of these patents, the forming of the mounting aperture simultaneously effects a heat sealing of the bags together. This in turn requires a severing of the bag from the tabs, and hence releasing the bag from the rack, as a precondition to opening the bag for loading.
Typical examples of multiple bags mounted on and dispensed from racks will be seen in the following patents:
In each of the above, the bags include one or more aperture which receive a rod-like member therethrough.
Typical examples of multiple bags releasably adhesively bonded to each other in a pack will be seen in the following patents: